Visiting Family
by TheGoldman
Summary: Clint Barton pays a visit to the Avengers compound.


-.-

Clint Barton may have decided to retire, but he wasn't done with the team. Nat was his sister, after all, in every way that counted. He wasn't going to leave her, no matter what. He still dropped by the new compound, if only to laugh at Tony's irritation every time he snuck in, stole all of the team's bedding, and made a nest in the middle of the front room.

He could tell that each of his visits helped Nat, too. She'd told him about her … flirtations … with Bruce, and she needed him to be there for her, even though she'd never admit it to anyone. Him staying there every now and then, occasionally bringing Laura and the kids, gave her a sense of normalcy. It allowed her to drop the Black Widow mask and just be Auntie Nat.

While he visited, he also kept an eye on the rest of the team. Tony had his hands full dealing with the Vision, struggling to maintain his relationship with Pepper, and trying to stop being a full-time Avenger. Steve was consumed by his hunt for the Winter Soldier. The new guys – Rhodes and Wilson – seemed to be getting along fine, but Wanda … the girl was completely out of her depth.

That was the reason for this visit. He already knew that Nat, Steve, and Wilson were in Washington – follow-up investigations from the breakdown of SHIELD – and that Tony had taken the Vision and Rhodes for a "guys' night out" to celebrate Pepper letting him back in the house. Wanda would be in the compound alone, probably for the first time.

The moment he entered the compound, a synthesized female voice spoke to him. "Hello, Agent Barton."

"Hey, FRIDAY." Clint waved slightly at the blinking camera above the front door.

"I wasn't aware you were scheduled to visit." FRIDAY replied, and Clint raised an eyebrow.

"I don't schedule my appointments, sorry." Clint shrugged the bag off his shoulder, throwing it onto one of the sofas in the common room. "Where's Wanda?"

"Miss Maximoff is on the roof. She looks sad." There was a slight tone in FRIDAY's voice, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. If he had to take a guess, he'd say it was sympathy. That was odd. He made a mental note to talk to Tony some time and ask him about his new AI. Ultron had taught him to be a little wary of any AI, especially ones that started to sound too human. It wasn't something he'd ever worried about with JARVIS, but times had changed.

"Thanks." He nodded at the camera and left the building.

He scaled the utility ladder quickly and scanned the rooftop. Wanda was there, half asleep under a tattered blanket with several empty beer bottles next to her. To his surprise, there was a pack of cigarettes by the beer, and a guitar leaning against the vent next to her.

"Hey there, Weird Girl." He called over, raising his hands in mock surrender as she snapped awake, twisting her hands into spellcasting position. "Easy! Unarmed over here."

"Clint!" Wanda smiled at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Ran out of lumber." He joked. "Figured Stark's got some lying around here. Last time they visited, he tried to have a wood-cutting competition. When Cap and I both beat him, he called bias and said he was gonna make a robot to cut wood for him."

Wanda laughed faintly, and he gestured at the space next to her. She nodded, and he sat down.

"What are you up here for?" Clint asked, grabbing one of the unopened bottles and cracking it open. "You know there are really comfortable seats downstairs, don't you?"

She didn't laugh at his joke, instead picking up her bottle again and sipping at it. "It's too quiet. Stark's ghost is there, but no-one else. I wanted to enjoy the stars."

"You know Tony hates it when you call his AI a ghost, don't you?" Clint told her, a smile on his face.

"I know." Wanda's eyes had a mischievous glint. "She doesn't mind, but he hates it. Almost as much as he hates you messing around in the air ducts."

"One time!" Clint mock growled. "I get drunk in the tower and recreate the vent scene in Mission Impossible one time, and they never let you forget it!"

"He still rants about it, occasionally." Wanda said. "He even hired that actor – the one they say you look like – to star in one of those films, just to wind you up."

"Really?" Clint took a swig of his beer. "I didn't know he'd had a hand in it. Thought it was just a coincidence."

Wanda nodded. "He told Vizh, before he had a body, and Vizh told me."

"Vizh?" Clint asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"Not like that!" Wanda slapped him playfully. "We talk a lot. Neither of us really fit here."

Clint put an arm around her shoulders. "You fit in fine, Wanda. Better than any of us did, when we started working as a team. It takes time."

Wanda rested her head on Clint's shoulder. "Sometimes, I wish I hadn't joined this team." She confessed.

"I told you before, you're always welcome at the farm." He offered.

"Don't tempt me, Clint." She laughed. "Your wife wouldn't like you asking another woman to run away with you."

"Actually, she told me to make the offer." Clint told her, smiling. "She really likes you, and the kids love you. They already call you Auntie Wanda."

Wanda dropped her bottle in surprise. "They do?"

"They do." He confirmed. "We just have one rule though." Clint held up the packet of cigarettes. "No secret smoking."

Wanda blushed. "I took them from Rhodes' room. Maria Hill smokes, and she left a pack in his room."

It was Clint's turn to look surprised. "Maria's dating War Machine? I wouldn't have guessed that." He thought back to their interactions every time he'd seen them together. "Although, they do make a cute couple. Laura will be thrilled – Maria comes round every now and then, they're really close."

"Thank you for the offer, Clint." Wanda leant forward, picking up another bottle. "But I can't leave. Pietro would have loved being a superhero, and I must say … I do love it."

"Best thrill in the world." Clint nodded.

"I must stay. Vizh, he needs someone who he did not know before. And Captain Rogers, I cannot disappoint him."

Clint laughed at that. "You've seen his 'disappointed' look? Honestly, we learned very fast not to get upset in the tower. If we did, Cap would show up within fifteen minutes, ready to go all mother-hen on us. It got a bit ridiculous sometimes. One time, me and Nat had a knock-down row. Screaming, yelling … she even threw a chair at me. Tony told me later it was hilarious watching Steve wrestle with himself, trying to decide who to comfort first."

Wanda laughed. "Truly?"

"Every word, I promise." Clint traced a cross over his heart.

They sat together in silence for a while, watching as the last light of the sun faded over the horizon. He noticed her shivering, and shrugged off his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders. After the last of the sunlight had gone, he helped her to the ladder, carrying her guitar, and the two sat down again in the common room.

"Thank you for this, Clint." Wanda said, as Clint put her guitar on one of the chairs.

"Anytime." He promised.

The next morning, Tony Stark and the Vision returned to the compound. Tony was complaining about a hangover, and Rhodey ducking out on them, while the Vision listened sympathetically. The two entered the common room of the compound, to see a sight that caused Tony to swear loudly.

"BARTON!" He yelled in anger, glaring at the massive pile of bedding that had been dragged into the center of the room.

Inside the blanket fort, Wanda giggled. Framing her friend was always fun.

-.-

AN: So, basically, I was watching Civil War earlier, and was inspired by a few things. Cap constantly being mother hen for the Avengers, I saw somewhere on Tumblr. Clint and Wanda's father-daughter/mentor-mentee relationship was clearly implied in the film. And I definitely was picking up vibes between Maria Hill and Rhodey in Age of Ultron.


End file.
